CMT Chinook Siding - May 2014
/CMT CHINOOK SIDING NEWSLETTER
You don’t know how good it is to have a home club layout is until it’s gone
MAY 2014
Dale Sproule: President, Andrew Love: Past President, Treasurer and Director,
Ron Sauer: Membership, Harvey Tavener: Director, Teagon Murray: Director
Building Movement Committee: Vlad Maritiu
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
June 18-21, Tacoma, WA: PSX2014 PNR Annual Convention, La Qunita Inn, 1425 E. 27th Street, Info: www.PNR2014.COM
July 13-20, Cleveland, OH, NMRA National Convention. Info:- www.2014cleveland.org
July 12 (Sat), Edmonton, AB: A Model railroad BBQ and drop-in social day from 10-4 at the Deville/North Cooking Lake Community Hall located at 21033 Wye Road, North Cooking Lake. Sponsored by the Mainline Model Railroaders Fellowship – everyone welcome. Info: www.mmrf.ab.ca
Sept. 20-21, Sherwood Park, AB. 2014 Great Edmonton Model Train Show, 10 AM - 5 PM, *NEW LOCATION* Millennium Place, 2000 Premier Way in Sherwood Park. Layouts, displays, clinics, dealers and LEGO! Info:-www.mmrf.ab.ca email:trainshow@mmrf.ab.ca
Lots to catch up so let’s get started.
SUPERTRAIN 2014 is now history pulling in attendance of 12,200 (6,200 on Saturday alone) for the show weekend of April 12-13. SUPERTRAIN now is possibly the top Train show in Canada and amongst the best in North America. The program handout listed 40 Hobby Exhibitors and 58 Commercial & Display Exhibitors booths. Beyond the obvious excitement of the show, SUPERTRAIN supports the Calgary Foodbank, Girl Guides (selling cookies), Boy Scouts (collecting pop cans).
Congratulations go first of all to Al Matchett who was our Coordinator who made sure the layout ran very well and arranged for a Rental Van Next. Thanks to all members who spruced up the modules . The new replacement bridge section worked on principally by Gavin, Cher and Garth and assorted other worked on.
CMT members represented ourselves and club well with our club shirts all ironed with a sharp crease. Membership turnout was 21 of 28 members present during sometime of the weekend. Load in was earlier than we were told, setup took about 2 hours thanks to a laser level loaned to us by Gary saving lots of time. The SUPERTRAIN move-in crew were well prepared with wheeled dollies and manpower helping us load in. Load out time was good too
I observed 23 layouts of various sizes; 14 with rope barriers or plastic see through windows and 7 without and CMT and was the only layout without a barrier of any sort. I don’t think that caused any problems with little fingers but we also had lots of members watching out. There were lots of people taking pictures of our layout, many asking questions too. Parking lot rennovations didn’t help but this is a 1 year inconvenience. There was even a Documentary film maker in attendance shooting up the show . Banquet speaker Tom Price emphasied that we, the hobbyist, should keep doing what we enjoy doing for mainly ourselves (to keep active) and for the public. Took me 2 days to recover, Shawn also. Next year dates are April 18-19.
HERITAGE PARK RAILWAY DAYS REPORT: I have received an application for CMT to participate in the 2014 Heritage Park Railway Days set for September 27-28, 2014. From our April Business meeting, members decided to participate with the feeling that we should expose ourselves as much as possible to the public. Gavin has stepped forward to be our coordinator. I know that all CMT members will give Gain our full support just as in the case of Al Matchett did for SUPERTRAIN 2014.
There are new items to be addressed: Trains and Such is picking up the cost of lunch for Model Rail Clubs so an exact headcount will be needed. Photo contest: This is an area that makes no sense to me: There is no photo contest as in years past but Park organizers tell me their plans are not yet confirmed for a photo contest unless you have photos of Heritage park Railway operations. Don’t forget to consider attending the Saturday evening dinner. Give Gavin your suggestions as to what imrovements CMT can offer such as using the timesaver? A demo module separate from the others in operation? A scenery display? A flat panel display showing our layout? Construction of kits? Weathering demo? DCC information booth? Don’t forget that with your ideas comes the need for manpower.
ANNIVERSARY CARS: As I suggested announced at the April Business Meeting, we have an excess of 75th Anniversary Cars. I’m looking for innovative ways to sell these. Please email your suggestions.
SPRING OPEN HOUSE: We had the annual Open House on Saturday, April 26 from 10 am – 4 pm. The layout operated well, Anniversary Cars were for sale. We had the Time Saver up and running, boxes of donuts and coffee were available, the weather was OK and we had a lower than normal amount of visitors.
FROM THE APRIL BUSSINESS MEETING:
BUILDING MAINTENANCE: There needs to be some building maintenance done this year, principally as I understand it in the area of removing the West canopy over the West parking strip and replacing then exposed areas and cleanout of the evestrough. Work will be under the direction of Ron Sauer. Painting the building is also to be considered, both ideas need good weather.
SQUIRREL REPORT: Rocky has left the building.
NEW MEMBERSHIPS ACCEPTED: New members accepted into CMT are Paul Foster, Brian Zhuang and John McBean. All 3 have shown interest with club activities and have helped with operations such as SPERTRAAIN and I know that all 3 will be valuable additions to the club. If you have not had the chance, please introduce yourself.
IN HOSPITAL: Two friends of CMT are currently laid up, Bob Hadlow is still in the Foothills while Gord Johnson is in the Rockyview.
WEATHERING CLINIC: I will be sending to you under a separate e-mail registration information for a June 28 Weathering Clinic, should be fun!
OPERATING SESSIONS: Andrew Love has presented Part 1 of a great Operation Session talking about how real and model train move, reasons why and how CMT can operated like the real railroads do. Part 2 has been announced for Wednesday, May 7.
THIS IS YOUR NEWSLETTER: Remember, if you have announcements, stuff for sale or anything else send me the information to post. Maybe you want to report on a current project too?
HIGHBALL is available again: The latest edition of the HIGHBALL (6th Division of the PNR Publication) is available on line at: http://pnr.nmra.org/6div/highball/, choose Edition #2
AND FINALLY
I see Athearn is taking pre-orders for Canadian Motive power for release in 2015:
CANADIAN NATIONAL GP-9 (Zebra paint scheme), era: 1970’s. Unit # 4401, 4411, 4417, 4493 will be available.
CANADIAN PACIFIC Passenger GP-9 (Maroon and Gray), era: 1950-1970. Unit # 8503, 8514, 8518, 8521 will be available.
Both will be DC ($189 UDD) and DCC with Tsunami sound ($289 USD).